Single Slam: My Chemical Romance, ATLVS, Michy Tree, Chaos Doctrine, Vexes, Gutlocker, Broken Empire, The Slaughter Daughter, Grave Lines, Deathbringer, Godeater, Outmayr and Behemoth!

This week’s single slam features My Chemical Romance, ATLVS, Michy Tree, Chaos Doctrine, Vexes, Gutlocker, Broken Empire, The Slaughter Daughter, Grave Lines, Deathbringer, Godeater, Outmayr and Behemoth. You can read our thoughts about the latest singles from these bands below.

My Chemical Romance – The Foundations of Decay

Eight since their last release, emo-kings My Chemical Romance have released a brand-new song titled ‘The Foundations of Decay’.

How exciting is this? A slow build, static and soft guitar melody, leads to distorted vocals and a foot-tapping rhythm. Building and building, the track transforms into a classic My Chemical Romance anthem that sounds like the past eight years just didn’t happen. A powerful and impactful chorus makes this a return that fans will simply adore. My Chemical Romance are back and that’s something everyone can celebrate.

ATLVS – Broken Bonds

Regional Victorian metal outfit ATLVS add another crushing single to their collection with new release “Broken Bonds”, streaming everywhere now.

A track to make you gurn and grin, ATVLS bring an intense amount of aggression on this new track. The slamming instrumentation will have you digging around in your closet for your stomping shoes and the vocals have that hardcore/death edge that is painful to hear. Though this is ATVLS so don’t be shocked when a melodic guitar solo comes out of nowhere. Check it out here.

Michy Tree – SIKE!

Alternative artist Michy Tree unleashes the pop-punk offering ‘SIKE!’. A track centered around themes of enduring toxic relationships.

Incredibly anthemic, incredibly catchy and incredibly impactful. Considering it’s a track barely 2-minutes long, that is very impressive. It’s pop-punk, the former coming from the excellent vocals and the later coming from the peppy instrumental pace. The chorus is fire and Michy Tree delivers it with some serious gusto. Check it out here.

Chaos Doctrine – Lifting the Veil

Johannesburg-based industrialised death metal machine Chaos Doctrine has been relatively quiet since their October 2021 double release of a cover of Midnight Oil’s ‘Beds are Burning’ and ‘MMXXI’ Redux of their first ever single, Cult. But that is about to change, as the band drops their new single ‘Lifting the Veil’.

Hot from the very start, Chaos Doctrine come screaming out of the gates with a wild guitar solo and percussion that just slams. Technically sound and addictively heavy, industrial elements add more layers before the most brutalising of vocal performances arrive. Calling it beastly might not be the right word to do this track justice. Just listen to it and don’t be surprised if your whole body ends up clenched through the sheer heavy power on show.

Vexes – The Dream Disease

New Jersey’s burgeoning alternative rock/metal band Vexes has revealed their third single, “The Dream Disease,” from the band’s highly-anticipated double album, “Imagine What We Could Destroy /// If Only Given Time,” that’s due out June 17th.

Vexes have been killing it as of late and once again, they show that everyone should be very excited about this upcoming double album with a refreshing new single. One that takes the mind on an emotional journey and delivers a masterclass of atmosphere. It’s a mood-altering track with just the right amount of energy to offset the melodies and give it a harder, more robust style. It’s smart, it’s inventive and it’s unbelievably listenable. Check it out here.

Gutlocker – SFS

Groove Metallers from Woking, Gutlocker, release the first single ‘SFS’ from the eagerly anticipated full-length album ‘To Be Alive’. ‘To Be Alive’ is Gutlocker’s first full-length album and is the first time we have heard anything new from the band since the release of their four track EP ‘Cry Havoc’ in 2018.

Bringing forth a blistering force of energy, Gutlocker are spitting and snarling on this body-shaking effort. Where groovy riffs meet pounding drums and the vocals reach scathing levels of intensity. It’s a little bit nasty, it’s a little bit dirty but it’s a whole lot of greatness. It’s a banging metal track, what more do you need to know?

Broken Empire – Valediction

Valediction is the second single taken from hard rock/metal band Broken Empire’s eagerly anticipated debut album, Before the Fall.

What? The extra level of heaviness isn’t quite what most will expect when they first hit play on this single. Broken Empire coming out with a belly full of fire but fear not, their inimitable hook-heavy sound is unchanged. Nowhere is not more profound than in the excellent chorus. It’s exciting to hear Broken Empire dig a bit deeper into the metal side of their music and it really works in their favour. By the time it comes to an end, don’t be surprised if you’ve got a bit of neckache from the head-banging it induces. Check it out here.

The Slaughter Daughter – The Haunting Dark

After her devastating debut with “Sea Waters (Were Meant to Drag You)” and her enigmatic and calm follow-up with “Phantom Violence”, the Barcelona-born singer-songwriter Celia Bernal (The Slaughter Daughter) presents the third and final single of her new work The Dark, The Violence under the title of “The Haunting Dark”.

The Slaughter Daughter is fast becoming one of our favourite finds this year and with The Haunting Dark, she deepens our interest. A track that blends poppier vocals with fuzzy electronica, jazzy percussion and a burgeoning atmosphere. Something that grows and grows over the sombre and eerie track. A truly unique sound, The Slaughter Daughter is one of the most fascinating artists we’ve heard in some time and this song is a great example of the eclectic nature of Celia Bernal. Check it out here.

Grave Lines – Carcini

London’s Grave Lines, purveyors of ‘heavy gloom’, will release their third album ‘Communion’ on July 15th, 2022. In the meantime, the band have offered up the first taste with the single, ‘Carcini’.

What does ‘heavy gloom’ sound like? Press play on Carcini and let the melancholy wash over you. Grave Lines giving British doom a fresh injection of life with deep atmosphere and beautiful misery. It’s a track that is conjures up the struggle to stay afloat in a wide and open sea, and the feeling of having cinder-blocks tied to your feet as you sink into the mire. An unsparingly moving listen, it’s pure heavy misery in the most delicious way possible.

Deathbringer – A Place to Exist

Progressive death metal pioneers Deathbringer have unveiled their latest single ‘A Place to Exist’, taken from their upcoming album IT, due for release on 15th July via Unique Leader Records.

The 15th of July feels so far away when Deathbringer continue to tease us with singles this intense. Music that is this technically proficient while also being undoubtably feral. Yes, Deathbringer are continuing to showcase a blistering modern take on progressive-death and this will knock you on your ass. That it sounds equally refined and messy is testament to Deathbringer’s hold on the chaos they unleash. Smart and exciting. Check it out here.

Godeater – The Hatchet

Following the release of their double A-side ‘You Are No Exception’/‘A Pale Shadow’, Glasgow’s Godeater are back with another ferocious track entitled ‘The Hatchet’.

A slice of barbarity, Godeater are bringing the noise on this new single. Where touches of technicality meet unmitigated extreme speed and aggression. A track that grabs you by the throat and spews bile directly in your face. However, it’s also a track that takes some intriguing twists and turns. So much so that giving it a ‘genre label’ isn’t as straight-forward as you might think. It’s heavy, it’s different and it’s bloody good. Check it out here.

Outmayr – Spirit Breaker

Anger is often a consequence of feeling lost, frustrated or misunderstood. Outmayr’s new single ‘Spirit Breaker’ brings up these and more struggles that are nowadays more real than ever.

A strong mix of melody and heaviness, Outmayr are part of the modern class of metalcore adding some nuances and fresh touches to the style. On this single, Outmayr showcase a sharp intensity that is balanced by exciting layers of melody and carefully used effects. It’s a track that really takes hold as it goes on, marking Outmayr as a band to very excited about. Check it out here.

Behemoth – Ov My Herculean Exile

Behemoth, the high priests of extreme metal have announced their 12th studio album, Opvs Contra Natvram, their most thought-provoking and arresting collection to date, set for release on September 16th, via Nuclear Blast. The album’s first single, ‘Ov My Herculean Exile’ is out now.

These days, you can never be too sure what you might get from Behemoth and once again, the black metal anomalies prove they are in a league of their own. This is a track that seems to combine the different eras of Behemoth. The more polished touches of heaviness and the rawer, black metal olden days. The end result is a track the oozes darkness, drips in evil intent and makes you feel that little bit more horrible.